Beatrice Chebet produced a devastating finishing kick to deny compatriot Faith Kipyegon another double gold, winning the women’s 5,000 meters at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Saturday.
The 25-year-old crossed the line in 14:54.36, just 0.71 seconds ahead of Kipyegon, to add to the 10,000m crown she claimed earlier in the week. Italy’s Nadia Battocletti took bronze in 14:55.42 after another gutsy run.
The race was cagey from the gun, with Americans Shelby Houlihan and Josette Andrews controlling a conservative early pace. The leading pack stayed tightly bunched, and for much of the 12-and-a-half laps Chebet and Kipyegon shadowed each other, both conserving energy for what was always likely to be a furious final lap.
With 600 meters to go, Kipyegon struck first, gliding past the field in the kind of long surge that has defined her championship career. She led into the home straight, but Chebet, biding her time on her shoulder, responded with a burst that left even the great Kipyegon unable to answer.
“It was not an easy race,” Chebet said afterwards. “Running with the likes of Faith and Nadia, you just have to believe in yourself. Bringing home gold and silver to Kenya makes me very happy.”
Kipyegon, who earlier in the week claimed her fourth consecutive world 1,500m title, was magnanimous in defeat.
“My friend Beatrice Chebet is the best,” she said. “She has the world record, she is very tough to beat. I knew it was going to be a battle until the finish line.”
Chebet’s victory was more than another medal for Kenya, it confirmed her as the defining distance runner of her generation. She now holds both world records, having become the first woman to run under 29 minutes for 10,000m (28:54.14) and under 14 minutes for 5,000m (13:58.06).
With the Tokyo double, she matched her feat from last summer’s Paris Olympics, joining a short list of women including Tirunesh Dibaba and Vivian Cheruiyot to sweep both events at a single global championship.
For Battocletti, who had already claimed silver in the 10,000m earlier in the week, bronze was another breakthrough on the biggest stage, confirming her status as Europe’s rising star in a discipline long dominated by East Africans.
The 24-year-old’s ability to stay composed through a chaotic final lap underscored her progress from promising finalist to genuine contender.
Kenya’s overall medal tally reflects their depth in distance running, with six golds by the close of Day 9 in Tokyo, all from middle- and long-distance events.
Yet for all the collective success, the image that will endure is Chebet powering away from Kipyegon in the final 50 meters, a moment that signaled not only her supremacy in 2025 but also the future of women’s distance running.
